Spring group and damping mechanism



,May 20, 1958 J. c. SETTLES 2,835,486

SPRING GRQUP AND DAMPING MECHANISM Original Fild March 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l I 4 4 HM", 7 I [mm I: f i h IN VEN TOR .J Mts c. 5577256,

301 2 9 m I ATTORNEY May 20, 1958 .1. c. SETTLES 7 SPRING GROUP Am DAMPING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 4, 1954 INVENTOR -J/7/7E5 (1. 5577255,

ATTORNEY C I -L 2,835,486 SPRING oaour AND DAMPING MECHANISM James C. Settles, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, Ohio Original application March 4, 1954, Serial No. 414,078. Divided and this application February 14, 1955, Serial No. 488,101

9 Claims. (Cl. Z67--9) The present invention relates to a spring group for railway car trucks wherein a plurality of load supporting springs of the coil type are employed in association with a friction absorbing snubbing device to damp recoil actions of the springs which support the load carrying bolster of a car truck. This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 414,078, filed March 4, 1954. A

An object of the invention is to provide a spring group having damping control and forming a package unit possessing the necessary strength by reason of the design of the top and bottom members and by so distributing the material forming features of the damping mechanism as to avoid encroachment on the space available in a side frame of a railway car truck for accommodating the load supporting springs and to provide a snubbing mechanism of increased efiiciency and to provide a device which may be readily assembled and dismantled.

A further object of the invention is to devise a package spring group and damping mechanism so constructed that the friction shoes or wedges have maximum facial engagement with the relatively moving parts of the device and to so position the wedge actuating springs that the resultant forces acting on the friction shoes efliciently damp relative movements of the top and bottom members of the device.

Other objects and features of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the railway art pertaining to the damping of the oscillation of the load springs upon consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings wherein an exemplary embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a spring group embodying the invention with a portion of the top member broken away and certain parts omitted to illustrate relationship of the top member with the bottom member.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1 with portions in section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 and illustrating the manner in which one of the wedges cooperate with the top and bottom members.

Fig. 3 .is a plan view of the bottom member.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the upper member.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the top member taken on the line 88 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of package unit.

Fig. 10 is an inverted plan view of the wedge.

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the wedge.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating one a wedge for the tates Patent ice method of retracting and holding the wedge in a retracted position.

Fig. 13 is a side elevational view of a bar for holding the unit in an assembled relationship.

A spring group and damping mechanism exhibiting the invention comprises a bottom member 101 and atop member 121 with load supporting springs between these members. One coil load supporting spring 103 is provided at each corner of the assembly as shown in Fig. 1 and a further coil 104 may be arranged within any or all of the helical springs 103 if desired. The friction damping mechanism includes two wedges or friction shoes 136 which are mounted between the load supporting springs. These shoes engage surfaces carried by the top and bottom members to snub oscillations of the load supporting springs.

The bottom member 101 is provided with an upstanding flange structure 102 around major portions of the perimeter to form cup shaped pockets for receiving the lower ends of the load supporting springs. The flange structure 102 functions to strengthen the bottom member 101 and to maintain the lower ends of the springs in position relative to the bottom plate. The load springs are further maintained in position by ribs 105. Holes 106 are provided in the bottom member at the centers of the spring seats for the load supporting coils.

in the structure illustrated the damping mechanism is accommodated in the central portion of the unit. Two

transversely arranged walls 107 extend upwardly from the bottom member 101 as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. A pair of sloping webs or plates 108 extend between and join the walls 107. The plates 108 converge towards each other in proceeding upwardly as shown in Fig. 4. The

under surface 109 of each plate 108 is slightly convex for the purpose of permitting rocking movement of the wedges 136 on these surfaces. The walls 107 are oifset slightly in the central areas to provide recesses 111 to accommodate a depending follower carried by the top member 121. The walls 107 are provided with vertically disposed slots 112 for receiving abar which cooperates with slots in the upper member to hold the unit in an assembled condition. The height of the walls 107 in the vicinity of the recesses 111 are of reduced height as indicated at 114 (Fig. 5) to provide clearance for ribs on the upper member.

The bottom member 101 carries spring seats 116 which diverge from each other in proceeding upwardly from the plate of the lower member. A spring positioning lug 117 is provided on each spring seat and the lugs have central openings 118. The bottom member carries lugs 119 for engaging openings in the spring seat of a side frame or openings in a spring plank so that the bottom member is retained in proper position relative to the unsprung part of the truck.

The top member 121 is shown more clearly in Figs. 6 to 8 and includes a top plate 122 having a generally rectangular shape. A flange structure 123 depends from the top plate 122 along the perimeter thereof. The flange structure 123 in cooperation with depending ribs 124 serve to position the upper ends of the load supporting springs and reinforce the top member. The top plate 122 in the central portions of the spring seats is provided with holes 126. A plurality of lugs 127 extend upwardly from the plate 122 and these lugs are adapted to enter holes in the under surface of the bolster to maintain the top structure of the device in proper position with respect to the resiliently supported member of the truck.

A follower or stem of rectangular formation in cross section depends from the central portion of the top plate 122. This stem includes end walls 128 which are adapted to be accommodated in the recesses 111 formed in the walls 107 of the bottom member. s The walls 128 are provided with vertically elongated slots 129 which are adapted to register with the slots 112 of the bottom member for receiving a bar or the like to hold the top and bottom members in a proper assembled relationship with the load springs therebetween. The ribs 124 in the areas adjacent the walls 128 are cut away as shown at 131 to clear the top edges of the walls 107. The stem or follower includes side walls 132 which have flat vertical outer faces adapted to be engaged by the friction faces of the wedges or friction shoes as hereinafter described. The walls 132 at their ends join the walls 128.

The damping mechanism includes two friction shoes or wedges 136. The friction shoes are of identical design and one is shown in Figs. 9 to 11. The shoe includes a vertical plate 137 and an inclined plate 133 which converges towards the plate 137 in proceeding upwardly. The plates 137 and 138 are joined at the top portions by means of the web 139. The under surface of the web 139 provides a spring seat 140 for a wedge actuating spring 141. The spring seat 140 is arranged in a plane at right angles to a bisector of the angle between the plates 137 and 138. A spring positioning lug 145 projects downwardly from the central portion of the spring seat 140. The lower portions of the plates 137 and 138 are connected by a pair of tie bars 142. These tie bars are spaced from each other so as to accommodate the wedge actuating spring 141. therebetween. The top of the Wedge is provided with a pair of ribs 144- which serve to reinforce the shoe and prevent rotation of the head of a bolt 151 extending into an opening 148 when such an element is used in retracting the wedge to an inactive position.

In assembling the device the wedge actuating. springs 141 are first positioned on the spring seats 116 surrounding the lugs, 11.7. The friction wedges 135 are then positioned over the upper ends of the wedge actuating springs 141. Any suitable means may be employed for compressing the wedge actuating springs and one scheme is illustrated in Fig. 12 wherein a bolt 151 is employed to move the wedge downwardly and compress the spring 141. The vertical plates 137 of the wedges are thus spaced from each other sufiiciently to accommodate the stem or follower thcrebctween.

The load supporting springs 193 and 1% are then arranged in position with their lower ends in the pockets of the lower member 101 after which the top member 121 is arranged in position. The top member is moved downwardly relative to the bottom member 12?. to compress the load springs and until the slots 129 are in registration with the slots 112 in the walls 197 of the bottom member. A bar 153 as shown in Fig. 13 is then inserted endwise through the aligned slots to hold the unit in assembled relationship and the load supporting springs in a partially compressed condition. Thereafter the bolts 151 may be removed through slots 156 in the top plate to release the wedges for upward movement when the vertical face of the plate 137 of each wedge engages a wall 132 of the stem or follower. The inclined face of each plate 13% will then engage a surface 199 of the bottom member. The device may be shipped in such an assembled condition. When one of the package units is placed in position under the bolster of a railway car truck a light load thereon will move the top member 121 downwardly relative to the bottom member so that the bar 153 may be removed and the unit is thus in condition for service.

While the invention has been described with reference to a top member and a bottom member, and with regard to particular structural characteristics it will be appreciated that the assembly may be inverted so that the top member engages the spring seat of a side frame of a truck or the spring plank and that the normal bottom member would engage the under surface of the bolster. The spring group and damp ng mechanism may be so inverted without altering the operation. In addition changes may be made in the details as well as the general organization. Such changes and modifications and others may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a spring group having a friction damping mechanism therein, a bottom member and a superimposed top member, helical load supporting springs having their lower ends seated on the bottom member with upper ends engaging an under surface of the top member, spaced transverse walls extending upwardly from the bottom member at an intermediate portion thereof, sloping webs extending between and joining said walls presenting upwardly converging under surfaces thereon, a stern depending from the top member at an intermediate portion thereof having substantially vertical outer surfaces, a pair of wedges each having a sloping surface for engaging one of said converging surfaces and one of said vertical surfaces, helical springs seated on the bottom member with their axes converging toward each other in proceeding upwardly urging the wedges into frictional engagement with said vertical surfaces and converging surfaces.

2. A bottom member for a combined damping mechanism and spring group comprising, plate portions and. an intermediate portion joining said plate portions, arcuate flange structures along the perimeters of the plate portions and extending upwardly therefrom, spaced walls merging with said flange structures at lower ends thereof and extending upwardly from the intermediate portion of the bottom member, sloping webs extending between and joining said walls having upwardly converging under surfaces thereon, spring seats on the intermediate portion of the bottom member below said webs, an outwardly offset area on the intermediate portion of each wall, a rib integral with one plate portion joining the offset area of one wall with one of said flange structures, a rib integral with the other plate portion joining the offset area of the other wall with the other of said flange structures, and said ribs extending upwardly from the plate portion and being in general alignment.

3. In a combined spring group and damping mechanism, a first member, a second member, vertically disposed load supporting springs between the first and second members, spaced transverse walls extending from the second member at an intermediate portion thereof, sloping webs extending between and joining said walls providing converging inner surfaces in proceeding from the second member, a stem extending from the first member at an intermediate portion thereof having substantially vertical outer surfaces, a pair of wedges each having a sloping face engaging one of said converging surfaces and a face engaging one of said vertical surfaces, helical springs having ends engaging the second member with their axes converging towards each other in proceeding towards the first member, and the other ends of said springs engaging the respective wedges urging the wedges into engagement with said vertical surfaces and said converging surfaces.

4. In a package spring group and damping mechanism, a first member, a second member, vertically disposed load supporting springs between said members, spaced transverse walls extending from the second member at an intermediate portion thereof, said walls being offset away from each other in central areas to provide confronting vertically disposed recesses horizontally extending webs joining said walls presenting converging inner surfaces in proceeding from the second member, a stem extending from the first member at an intermediate portion thereof having substantially vertical outer surfaces each of greater width than the space between said walls with end portions of said stem accommodated in said recesses, a pair of. wedges each having a sole sloping face engaging throughout its width one of said converging surfaces and a vertical flat face engaging one of said vertical surfaces, and springs compressed between the second member and the respective wedges urging the wedges into engagement with said vertical surfaces and said converging surfaces.

5. In a combined spring group and damping mechanism,

a top member, a bottom member, vertically disposed load supporting springs between said members, spaced substantially parallel walls extending upwardly from the bottom member at an intermediate portion thereof, said walls being offset outwardly with respect to each other in central areas thereof, two horizontally extending webs connected at their ends to said walls and having under surfaces converging toward each other in proceeding upwardly, a stern depending from an intermediate portion of the top member having a length in cross section greater than the space between said walls with its ends accommodated in the offset areas of said walls, substantially vertical outer surfaces on said stem facing said converging surfaces, 21 pair of Wedges each having asloping face engaging one of said converging surfaces and each having 1 a vertical face lying along and engaging the vertical surfaces on said stem, and springs compressed between the wedges and the bottom member urging the wedges into engagement with said vertical surfaces and said converging surfaces.

6. In a combined spring group and damping mechanism, a first member, a second member, vertically disposed load supporting springs between the first and second members, horizontally extending sloping webs carried by the second member presenting converging inner sur faces in proceeding from the second member, a stem extending from the first member at an intermediate portion thereof having substantially vertical outer surfaces, a pair of Wedges each having a sloping face engaging one of said converging surfaces and a face engaging one of said vertical surfaces, helical springs with their axes converging in proceeding from the second member engaging the respective wedges urging them into engagement with said vertical surfaces and into engagement with said converging surfaces, and a vertical abutment wall carried by the second member at each end of the sloping webs for limiting lateral movements of said wedges.

7. A bottom member for a combined damping mechanism and spring group comprising, plate portions and an intermediate portion joining said plate portions, arcuate flange structures along the perirneters of the plate portions and extending upwardly therefrom, spaced transversely disposed Walls merging with said flange structures at lower ends thereof and extending upwardly from the intermediate portion of the bottom member, sloping webs extending between and joining said walls having upwardly converging under surfaces thereon, spring seats on the intermediate portion of the bottom member below said webs, outwardly offset areas on said walls in the central portions thereof forming open rectangular shaped recesses,

and upstanding ribs connecting the flange structures with said offset areas.

8. In a package spring group and damping mechanism, a top member, a bottom member, vertically disposed load supporting springs between said members, spaced transverse walls extending from the bottom member at an intermediate portion thereof, an outwardly offset portion on a central area of each of said walls providing a vertically extending recess at the inner face of each wall, horizontally extending webs joining said walls presenting converging inner surfaces in proceeding from the bottom member, a stem extending from the top member at an intermediate portion thereof having substantially vertical outer surfaces with portions of the stem accommodated in said recesses, a pair of wedges each having a substantially plane sloping face engaging one of said converging surfaces and a vertical face engaging one of said vertical surfaces, springs engaging the respective wedges urging the wedges into engagement with said converging surfaces and into engagement with said vertical surfaces, and each converging surface having convex crown thereon generated about a substantially horizontal axis parallel to the plane of the associated vertical surface.

9. In a package spring group and damping mechanism, a top member, a bottom member, vertically disposed load supporting springs between said members, spaced transverse walls extending from the bottom member at an intermediate portion thereof, an outwardly offset portion on the central area of each of said walls providing a vertically extending recess adjacent the inner face of each wall, horizontally extending webs joining said walls presenting inwardly converging surfaces in proceeding from the bottom member, a stem extending from the top member at an intermediate portion thereof having substantially vertical surfaces respectively confronting said Webs with portions on the stem accommodated in said recesses, a pair of wedges each having a fiat sloping face engaging throughout its Width one of said converging surfaces and a vertical face engaging one of said vertical surfaces, springs engaging the respective wedges urging the wedges into engagement with said vertical surfaces and into engagement with said converging surfaces, and each converging surface being of convex formation in the direction of slope thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,483,181 Clasen Sept. 27, 1949 2,527,356 Cottrell Oct. 24, 1950 2,613,075 Barrett Oct. 7, 1952 2,627,402 Smith Feb. 3, 1953 2,657,039 Flesch Oct. 27, 1953 2,668,050 Cottrell et al Feb. 2, 1954 2,682,398 Pearson June 29, 1954 

